


His Sister's Boyfriend

by Amethystina



Category: The Losers (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, And full of pining, And they try the whole dating thing, But he's already stupidly in love, I don't think we have a "I'm in love with my sister's boyfriend" fic in this fandom, It's Really Sweet, Jess is the first Jensen Carlos meets, M/M, Only Carlos might just be more interested in her brother, So we're all good, Which Jake has no idea about, so i wrote one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 18:52:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5551430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethystina/pseuds/Amethystina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake doesn't believe in love at first sight until he opens the door and sees Carlos standing on the other side. The problem? Carlos is there for a date with <em>Jake's sister</em>, not Jake himself. Carlos is so off limits that Jake feels guilty just looking at the man, and he vows not to ruin Jess' happiness. </p><p>So what if he has a crush on his sister's boyfriend? It will fade sooner or later, right?</p><p>
  <em>Right?</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Sister's Boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. Like, literally. I sat down to write something else entirely, but this was what came out. JJ being heartbroken always tugs at my heartstrings, but the fic is plenty cute too. So go ahead and enjoy, my lovelies <3
> 
> And don't worry — Jess will be fine. She's definitely the MVP in this fic, as a matter of fact.

 

"So, tell me again how you met this guy?" Jake called out from the living room. He knew that Jess would hear him even if he was sprawled on the couch, flicking through one of Beth's Spider-Man comics.

"At the girl's night out I had with Angelica and Karen last week," came the reply from the bathroom.

"I think you need to look into your definition of a 'girl's night'," Jake pointed out.

He looked up when Jess emerged from the bathroom, trying to fasten a bracelet around her wrist.

"He was at the same bar, Jake, not there with us." Jess was still struggling with her bracelet, but eventually sighed in defeat and marched over to Jake to have him help her with the clasp. "We exchanged numbers and now we're going on a date."

Jake placed the comic on his chest and obediently fastened the bracelet for her — if nothing else because it gave him an opportunity to look at his fabulous nails. Since Jess was going on a date Beth had decided that nail polish was a must, so all three Jensens now sported brightly colored creations. Jess was the only one who had been allowed to stick to one color, while Jake's nails were pink, purple, and green. Beth had gone for a Spider-Man theme on hers, because that was apparently a thing right now.

"You smell nice," Jake said with a smile.

Jess was radiant that evening, dressed in a sleek black dress that managed to be both modest and sensual. She still had to put the finishing touches on her makeup, going by the lack of lipstick, but Jake thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, with or without it.

She smiled back and bent down to run her fingers through his hair.

"That's the point," she replied, before kissing his forehead.

"Is he a good guy?" Jake asked, grinning up at her. Jess rolled her eyes and started walking back towards the bathroom.

"He is. Very polite and gentlemanly. And a great listener."

Jake snorted. "I've heard that before."

"Oh shut it," Jess chastised. "It's true this time." She had disappeared into the bathroom by then, but Jake could almost _hear_ the smug smile that had to be on her face when she continued, "Not to mention that he's drop-dead gorgeous. I wouldn't mind taking him—"

"Whoa! No!" Jake shouted, slapping his hands over his ears in an attempt to preserve his innocence. "No one is taking anyone anywhere! Oversharing, Jess! _Jesus_!"

He could hear Jess cackle even with his hands covering his ears.

"You're worse than Beth!" she called, glee evident in her voice.

Jake grimaced and lowered his hands, shooting the bathroom door a withering look.

"So sue me for not wanting to hear the intimate details of my sister's love life." He pushed himself up until he was sitting on the couch, tossing the comic book onto the coffee table. "I love you, Jess, you know I do — so much that I agree to babysit your barbaric eight-year-old when you go on a date — but I draw the line at hearing about your kinks."

Jess stuck her head out from the bathroom, hand braced against the doorframe.

"You _adore_ Beth and would fight a Dalek for an opportunity to babysit her. We both know it," she deadpanned. She then raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to disagree.

Jake, wisely enough, chose not to.

He was saved from having to think of a good argument by the ringing of the doorbell. Jess' grin brightened before she pointed towards the front door.

"Get that for me, will you? I'll be ready in a sec."

She ducked back into the bathroom before witnessing Jake's suffering eye roll, but she had to have heard the sigh he let out before he pushed himself up from the couch. The things he did for his sister. If it hadn't been for the unsupervised video game and ice cream-binging time he'd get with his niece, he would definitely not be this helpful.

Jake could admit that he was a tiny bit curious about this man his sister was going on a date with, though, if in a rather unexcited way. Jake and Jess didn't have the same taste in men — or women, for that matter — but it was always interesting to know who had caught her eye this time.

The second Jake opened the door his brain seemed to momentarily malfunction.

On the other side stood one of the most gorgeous men he had ever seen. Jake couldn't even describe what his heart was doing at the sight of the dark, shoulder-long hair, nicely sculptured features, and an honest to God cowboy hat. Jake's brain was in a state of shock — pretty much like the rest of him.

Jake felt a warm, delighted squeeze in the pit of his stomach when he looked into the man's dark brown eyes, and was pretty certain that he had forgotten how to breathe. Instead he chose to stand there, frozen in the doorway, like an utter fool.

His heart was racing and the only thought circling through his head was that if there really was a thing like love at first sight, this might very well be it.

And _then_ Jake remembered why the man was there.

A cold, painful knot settled in his gut, but somehow Jake managed to get his brain back on track.

"Hi!" he said, holding out his hand with a smile that might or might not be cracking around the edges. "I'm Jake Jensen, Jess' brother."

The man returned the smile — which didn't make him look any less attractive _at all_ — and shook Jake's hand. It was a challenge not to shiver when their fingers touched, but Jake was nothing if not stubborn.

"Carlos."

Jake swallowed down the flare of attraction and gestured for Carlos to step inside. The only consolation was that Carlos didn't seem to have noticed Jake's momentary hiccup.

Jake wouldn't mind having a date of his own with this man.

But he would never do that. Not to Jess.

"She'll be out in a minute," Jake explained. He tried his best not to linger on Carlos walking past him, so close that Jake felt the heat of him against his arm. And he was totally not reacting to the smell of the man's aftershave either. Nope.

The situation only got worse when Jake shut the door and turned to face Carlos, and found himself standing a little closer than entirely appropriate. Jess' hall was clearly not an ideal place to be when you were trying _not_ to get turned on by your sister's date for the night.

Jake was almost relieved when he saw Carlos' gaze straying to Jake's hands, no doubt noticing the colorful state of his nails.

"The new spring look," Jake said, while raising his hands and wiggling his fingers. His grin was proud and possibly a little _too_ bright for a man who was just about to turn thirty-one. "Beth assures me it makes me look _absolutely fabulous_ , and who doesn't want that?"

Carlos seemed almost surprised by his own laugh, as if it was unusual for him to find things funny enough to show an outside reaction to them. Because it wasn't a mocking laugh, either, judging by the way his eyes crinkled and the lingering smile.

Jake told his heart to stop beating so fucking fast.

Carlos didn't seem inclined to reply verbally — though his smile was more than enough. Maybe 'great listener' was code for 'not very talkative'. Well, Jake could certainly roll with that.

"I'm on babysitting duty tonight." Jake was an expert at pointless small talk, and if the guy wasn't going to say anything, then Jake could definitely fill the silence for the both of them. "I think Beth might actually be making you a thank you card, for taking Jess out so Beth and I can have some alone time." Jake tried to subtly walk past Carlos and reach the freedom of the much wider living room — he had never felt as big and clumsy as he did in that moment. "I mean, we love Jess, trust me, but she can be a bit overbearing, you know?"

"I heard that!" Jess shouted from the bathroom.

"You see what I mean?" Jake stage whispered, earning himself another laugh. And those weren't butterflies in his stomach. Of course not.

Carlos was grinning — which was a good thing — and Jake allowed himself to relax once they weren't standing so close anymore. The distance between them made it easier to breathe, and he could finally focus on the fact that this was Jess' date, not his.

"Watch it, Jacob Jensen, or I _will_ ground you," Jess declared as she came striding out of the bathroom. The sight of her was enough to make Jake's breath catch for a second. She might be his sister, but that didn't mean that he couldn't tell how stunningly gorgeous she was.

Jess, understandably, was a little more focused on her date's reaction, since Jake wasn't the one she was trying to impress.

Carlos did not disappoint.

"You look beautiful." The words were as sincere as they come, and Jake wondered if Carlos said so little so that the few words he _did_ speak would have more impact. Even _Jake_ felt a flutter of something warm and pleasant in his chest — and he wasn't the one being complimented.

Carlos certainly knew how to make a woman feel special.

Jess looked more expectant than Jake had seen in ages, and he subtly inched back when she leaned in and kissed Carlos' cheek as a combined hello and thank you. Jake felt a flare of jealousy, which he smothered as quickly as humanly possible. It wasn't his place to feel jealous.

"Well, I'm ready to go," she said, smiling brightly.

Jake cleared his throat and took another step back.

"Alright, kids, you have a good evening, okay?" He pointed at Jess. "Be back before two." Then at Carlos, who raised an eyebrow, but seemed more amused than insulted. "If you hurt her I will find you, kill you, and bury your body where no one will find it."

Jess rolled her eyes.

"I'm thirty-four, and since you're my _baby brother_ I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to give my dates the shovel talk," she drawled, while placing a hand on Carlos' arm to steer him towards the front door.

Jake smiled innocently and held up his hands.

"Okay, I'll hold him while you punch," Jake amended. That resulted in a brief laugh from Jess. Carlos seemed amused, but also had the decency to offer a polite and confirming nod. The threat was more or less a joke, but Carlos seemed to understand if Jake was feeling a bit protective.

Jess and Beth were quite literally Jake's world.

Jess didn't reply and simply towed her date towards the front door, making sure to flip Jake the bird before she slipped out of the apartment.

Jake swallowed as soon as the silence settled, pushing back the nausea twisting in his gut. He wasn't selfish enough to wish that the date wouldn't go well but he knew that if it did — if Jess and Carlos hit it off — Jake would have a rough couple of weeks ahead of him. The flare of attraction was still burning inside of him, bright and eager.

But it shouldn't be _that_ difficult to smother, should it?

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a couple of seconds he had pushed back the swirling emotions enough to head for Beth's room. It was time to let her know that the coast was clear and the video game marathon could begin.

And if his heart felt heavy and it took him longer than usual to start smiling again, well, he just had to ignore that, didn't he?

 

* * *

 

Jake didn't ask how the date went when Jess returned, but he didn't really have to — her smile said it all. He knew that there would be a second date even before she told him. Jake made sure to congratulate her, resolutely ignoring the stab of pain he felt.

Carlos seemed like a great guy and Jake was happy for Jess. He was. Jake could only imagine how difficult it had to be to find a man who was willing to date a single mom, and while Carlos had yet to meet Beth, he would probably charm her in a matter of minutes.

But that was still in the future, Jake knew, since Jess would want to get a feel for the guy before she introduced her daughter. It was both a safety precaution and an attempt to ease the pressure somewhat, for everyone involved.

Well, except Jake, perhaps, who would be hired to babysit more than usual. Not that he complained — he loved spending time with Beth — but he wasn't all that fond of the rush of emotions he felt whenever he thought of Carlos.

Jake had to get that under control, and he would — for Jess' sake, if nothing else. He was not, under any circumstances, going to mess up her happiness.

 

* * *

 

The second time Jake saw Carlos he was more prepared.

Then again, the only reason Jake didn't make a fool out of himself was probably because Jess didn't need him to play doorman. So he only caught a glimpse of Carlos before they were out the door, Jess tossing out an order for Jake and Beth to behave over her shoulder.

Jake didn't even have time to get up from the couch.

But he guessed that was a blessing, in a way, because it still kind of hurt to see the two of them leave. Staying in with Beth was in no way a consolation prize, but at the same time Jake felt incredibly lonely.

For the third date Jess drove her own car and Jake didn't see Carlos at all.

Jake was grateful. If his traitorous heart skipped a beat from having Jess call him and ask if he could babysit, seeing Carlos in person would probably have been a disaster. It was wrong on so many levels to be this attached to the man his sister was dating.

The dates were obviously going well; Jess was always smiling when she got home. They seemed to be taking it slow, however. Not that Jake tried to ask for details or anything — he kept out of the way as much as he possibly could — but he could tell on Jess' still well-done hair and makeup that they couldn't have shared more than a couple of kisses.

Jake was relieved, but not for selfish reasons. Jess seemed to appreciate getting to know the guy before jumping into bed with him, and Jake was pretty sure that she quite liked the slow, attentive courting. Carlos was obviously quite the charmer and Jake understood if Jess wanted to prolong that for as long as possible.

At the evening of the fourth date — roughly three weeks after the first — Jake was once again asked to open the door while Jess finished getting ready.

By then he had resigned himself to his fate as the asshole who had the hots for his sister's kind-of-but-not-quite boyfriend, and smiled despite the way his chest clenched as soon as he laid eyes on Carlos. It honestly made no sense why Jake was so stuck one someone he didn't know and had only really talked to once before, but that was just his luck, he supposed.

"Come on in." Jake stepped back and allowed Carlos to pass before he closed the door.

"No fabulous nails this time?"

Jake almost jumped in surprise. He hadn't expected Carlos to say anything to him, much less something so teasing and fond. Jake managed a laugh, even if it was pitched a little too high.

"If I had known you liked them so much there would have been," Jake replied, realizing a second too late just how _flirty_ that had been. He shouldn't have said that — least of all in that tone of voice — and only barely kept himself from slapping a hand over his face.

But Carlos was grinning so the clumsy and highly unintended attempt at flirting must have passed him by. Jake was ever so grateful.

"They suit you," Carlos said with a smile. His expression could easily have been teasing or demeaning, considering that he was complimenting another man's use of nail polish, but he seemed absolutely genuine — if a bit amused.

And Jake, being who he was, couldn't help grinning widely in response.

"I _am_ quite fabulous, aren't I?" He might be preening, just a little.

Carlos laughed, the sound warm enough to make Jake's throat seize up. He had to fumble for another subject, just so that he wouldn't end up standing there staring at Carlos like an idiot.

"Did you know that octopuses have three hearts?"

If Carlos thought that having this random fact blurted at him was in any way weird, he didn't show it. He even looked pleasantly surprised at Jake's enthusiasm, as if he quite liked the thought of carrying on the conversation, even if it suddenly involved more octopuses than initially planned.

Jake took that as an invitation.

Jess arrived shortly after that — which was probably a blessing for Carlos' sanity — and she laughed brightly at Jake, despite the fact that he was keeping her date occupied with silly stories about octopuses. Most sisters would probably have tried to whack him over the head for that, but Jess only smiled and kissed Jake's cheek.

"Don't feed Beth too much ice cream this time," Jess warned, but she had to have known that Jake was crossing his fingers behind his back.

"Of course not." He nodded, expression serious. Jess shook her head, albeit fondly, before giving his cheek another kiss.

Jake swallowed down his disappointment when both of them turned to leave. Carlos stopped long enough to smile and nod at him, and Jake offered a dorky little wave in return. He tried to make his heart stop racing, but it clearly wasn't working.

He felt a twinge in his chest when the door shut behind Jess and Carlos.

Jake's smile fell, in time with his heart.

He _had_ to do something about his stupid crush.

 

* * *

 

Jake managed to keep a certain distance after that. First of all, Carlos didn't actually pick Jess up for all of their dates, but Jake also made sure to _not_ start talking about the random things buzzing around inside his head. Occasionally, he even made sure to be in another room entirely.

And that worked fine.

Jess was happy because she was dating a handsome and considerate guy, Beth was happy because her mom was happy, and Jake was absolutely miserable because he happened to be a little bit in love with that very same guy. But Jake would rather be miserable than make Jess equally miserable.

She deserved all the happiness she could get.

Jake got by. He was okay.

Only he really wasn't.

 

* * *

 

Jess had been going out with Carlos for almost two months when she came home from one of their dates with a frown on her face. Jake was instantly alarmed, since that was the first time Jess had shown anything but giddy excitement when getting back from meeting Carlos.

Beth had already been put to bed and Jake was lying on the couch, reading one of Jess' glossy fashion magazines.

"You okay?" he asked, almost dreading the answer. She looked more thoughtful than upset, but Jake was still worried.

Jess placed her hands on her hips, still frowning.

"He's either losing interest or he wants to take it _really_ slow," she said after a moment.

"Uh..." was Jake's brilliant response, since he wasn't entirely sure what else to say. That was clearly none of his business and a bit more than he actually wanted to know, to be honest.

Jess sighed and kicked off her high-heeled shoes before walking over to the couch. Jake raised his legs so that she could slump down next to him, replacing his feet in her lap.

"I just... we _are_ attracted to each other, but there's something..." She made a circular motion with her hands, as if trying to figure out how to finish the sentence.

"Missing?" Jake suggested carefully, not sure what to feel. As much as he liked Carlos — and he did, in ways he really shouldn't — he appreciated that the guy made Jess smile even more. Jake actually _wanted_ it to work out between Jess and Carlos, no matter how much it might hurt him.

Jess let her head fall back, staring forlornly at the ceiling.

"Something like that," she mumbled, hands resting on Jake's ankles. "I'm not sure if it's me or just..." She shrugged helplessly.

"Hey, no," Jake protested. He tossed the fashion magazine aside and sat up so that he could catch Jess' gaze. "You're the awesomest ever, you know that, right? People should be lining up to date you!"

Jess smiled, crooked and fond, and reached out to pinch his cheek.

"You're so adorable when you decide to defend my honor."

Jake batted her hand away, only to change his mind and grab it instead. He gave her fingers a comforting squeeze.

"I'm serious, Jess. You're amazing, okay? Maybe it's just a temporary snag?" Jake smiled when his words made the tension in Jess' shoulders ease. "Carlos is a great guy, okay? Friendly, polite, handsome — has a great laugh too — and just... don't give up yet."

Jess turned her head to give him a thoughtful look. It was the one she used when she wanted to pick Jake's brain apart, or figure something out. Jake blinked in surprise — and a fair share of alarm.

"What?" he asked, not sure what he said to cause that reaction.

Jess didn't reply, but kept staring at him for another couple of seconds. It made Jake nervous and he tried his best not to squirm.

"Nothing," she said eventually, even if she kept gazing at him with an inscrutable look on her face. Jake would have been worried, had it not been for how her posture remained relaxed — and the way she gave his hand a squeeze. "We have any ice cream left?"

Jake smiled and nodded. He didn't move to get up, though, not yet, and instead tugged on her fingers. It was a very childish gesture but Jess seemed to find it endearing.

"I love you," he said. "Don't forget that, okay?"

Jess smile was soft and so incredibly tender.

"I love you too, JJ," she replied, patting his hand.

 

* * *

 

Two weeks later Jake opened the door and squinted at the Carlos-shaped person standing on the other side of the threshold. To be fair, Jake had a fever and had just finished coughing up half a lung — or so it felt like — so it was understandable if he wasn't functioning at his best. He had managed to grab his glasses from the coffee table before shuffling over to open the door, but it still took him a while to see the details of Carlos' face.

"Uh... hang on a second," Jake slurred before turning away from the confused-looking Carlos. Jake tilted a little dangerously before he was able to find his balance. "Jess!" he shouted, ignoring how his voice cracked. "Do you have a date you forgot to cancel?"

There was some kind of reply from inside the apartment that Jake couldn't quite decipher. It was followed by the sound of Jess tumbling out of bed, however, so Jake assumed she was on her way.

"Sorry," he croaked when he turned back to Carlos, who was looking quite concerned by then. "We're sick."

"All three of you?"

Jake nodded, head resting against the door for extra support — not to mention that it felt nice and cool against his fevered skin.

"Beth caught something at school and brought it home." Jake sniffed unattractively. He wasn't sure if _anyone_ could do that attractively — except maybe Carlos. "Not that I actually live here. But I caught it anyway and figured misery needs company, you know?"

Carlos did seem to know, judging by the pitying look Jake received.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Jess said when she eventually emerged, voice hoarse enough to make both Jake and Carlos wince in sympathy. "The date completely slipped my mind."

"No problem," Carlos assured while holding up his hands in a calming gesture. He looked like all he wanted was to bundle up both Jess and Jake and send them back to bed, as a matter of fact. "Do you need anything?"

Jess tried to reply but had to clear her throat and try again before any sound actually came out. "You really don't have to—"

"Jess," Carlos interrupted, kind but firm. "I want to."

Jake clearly wasn't the only one who felt his heart melt at that, considering the way Jess smiled.

"I'll get you a list," she relented, before turning to head towards the kitchen.

Once she had disappeared out of view Jake couldn't help whistling softly. Carlos raised an eyebrow, wordlessly asking him to elaborate.

"She doesn't usually admit defeat that fast," Jake explained, smiling weakly. He knew that was a good thing — Jess was making exceptions for Carlos that she wouldn't for others — but knowing that only make the ache in Jake's chest worse.

"She's sick," Carlos replied with a casual shrug, as if that was probably the sole reason for Jess' compliance.

Jake swallowed down the flare of pain and nodded, pretending to agree.

"Excuse me, I'm going to check up on Beth." It was cowardly to flee but Jake had never pretended to be brave in the face of something like this. His crush was doomed before it even started, but he didn't seem able to let it go either.

Carlos gestured for him to go ahead and Jake left him standing in the doorway, knowing that Jess would return shortly.

It was slightly easier to breathe when Jake was out of earshot, but not by much.

Still, checking up on Beth and making sure she got some fluids into her despite her heartbreaking, miserable whines kept him busy until Carlos came back. The supply run didn't take very long at all. Jake shuffled into the kitchen just in time to see Carlos unload whatever Jess had asked him to buy, a grocery bag standing on the counter next to the sink.

Jake was met with one of Carlos' smiles and managed to offer one in return.

Jess was leaning against the counter next to Carlos and made a surprised noise at the back of her throat when he pulled out what seemed to be ingredients.

"Are you making food?" she asked, both curious and a little endeared. Jake didn't blame her _at all_.

"Soup," was the concise but much appreciated reply.

"Oh God, you're amazing," Jess groaned, tipping to the side so that she could rest her forehead against Carlos' shoulder. "I'm definitely keeping you."

It felt like a punch in the gut.

Jake hastily pulled back, both physically and figuratively, and quietly slipped out of the kitchen. They deserved some privacy and Jake doubted that they would notice if he left. He dragged himself over to the couch instead, curling up with his self-pity as only company.

His throat was tight and it hurt to swallow. Even if he tried to pretend that his eyes were burning because of the flu, he couldn't quite convince himself of that.

It wasn't tears. It definitely wasn't.

It _couldn't_ be.

Jake wasn't sure how much time passed but the next thing he became aware of was having his glasses gently slipped from his nose. They had been digging into his face so he was quite grateful. As far as he knew he was still bundled up on the couch, but any and all coherent thoughts fled when he feel a cool hand against his forehead.

That felt heavenly.

Jake hummed and pushed closer. There was a brief moment of hesitation before he felt fingers brush against his temple, the touch soft and so utterly gentle. Jake felt himself relax, turning more or less boneless when those fingers stroked through his hair. He might even have whimpered a little.

He could hear Jess call out from somewhere in the apartment but didn't bother to listen to the actual words. Jake was far too comfortable, even if the soothing touch disappeared a second later. He was already slipping back into sleep anyway, surprisingly content.

 

* * *

 

"Do you like Carlos, Uncle Jake?"

Jake felt that it was completely understandable if he froze at that, staring at Beth who sat opposite to him at the kitchen table. Papers and crayons were scattered across the tabletop while Jess stood by the stove, cooking their dinner.

"What?" Jake asked dumbly, throwing a quick glance at Jess. She seemed fully engrossed in the food, however, even if her daughter had just asked her brother if he liked the guy she was dating.

Of course Jake knew that Beth didn't mean _like_ like, but that didn't stop his heart from picking up its pace, just a tiny bit.

"Do you like Carlos?" Beth asked again, putting down her crayon to stare at him, as if they were discussing matters of utmost importance.

And in a way they were, he supposed, because it was probably only a matter of time before Beth got to meet Carlos — without being mildly delusional from fever. She was probably just trying to figure out what to expect and wanted Jake's input to ease her nerves.

So he smiled and nodded. The last thing Jake wanted was for Beth to start disliking Carlos before she even met him.

"Yeah, I do. He makes your mom happy, right? So why wouldn't I?"

For some reason that didn't seem to be the answer Beth wanted. She frowned, looking confused.

"But why do you look so sad then?" she asked innocently.

Jake's smile fell. He could tell that Jess paused over by the stove and Jake almost choked on the dread rising inside him. There was a possible disaster at hand and Jake wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.

"What? I'm not sad," he replied quickly, trying to pretend that he was the only one who heard the slight tremor to his voice. He reached out and bopped Beth's nose. "Do I look sad to you?"

Beth giggled and pushed his hand away.

"Not _now_! I meant whenever mommy leaves to go with Carlos." Beth tilted her head to the side. "Is it because you don't like him?"

Holy _shit_. Jake _had_ to get Beth to stop talking.

Jess was _right there_ and Jake knew that while Beth might not know what she was on to, Jess would have a much easier time figuring it out. He could feel his sister's eyes on him and tried to ignore the growing panic.

An emergency lie was clearly the only solution.

"No, Beth, I like Carlos," Jake answered. "I think he's really nice. I just get a little sad because your mom is going out having fun with someone and I'm not. You understand?"

That wasn't even a lie, to tell the truth, but he didn't have to mention that the one he wanted to spend time with happened to be the same person his sister was currently dating.

"Oh..." Beth seemed to think on that for a moment. "So you want a boyfriend too?"

Jake choked, but managed a twitchy nod too.

"Okay! That makes sense!" Beth declared with childlike finality. "I'm sure you'll find a boyfriend too, Uncle Jake, don't worry."

"Thank you, Beth, that's lovely," he croaked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He wasn't sure if Jess fell for the lie as easily as Beth had, so Jake chose to just focus back on his drawing rather than acknowledge the searching looks his sister was sending him. He actually _was_ a little lonely. That shouldn't surprise her, should it?

But if an eight-year-old could piece together that Jake was sad because of something involving Carlos, well, it would be insulting to assume that Jake's highly intelligent sister couldn't.

But until she decided to bring it up — if they ever reached that point — he chose to live in ignorance and denial.

He honestly didn't know what else he _could_ do.

 

* * *

 

Two weeks passed without Jake getting a single call to babysit Beth.

He still came to visit, of course, since they lived a fifteen-minute drive from each other and he had no social life whatsoever besides Jess, Beth, and his online friends. The problem was just that Jess and Carlos seemed to have stopped dating, and Jake wasn't entirely sure why. He hoped to God that it wasn't because of what Beth said, but he was too much of a coward to bring it up.

Jess never said a word about the obvious pause in her and Carlos' relationship.

When week three came to an end Jake was too keyed up from nerves and possible guilt _not_ to ask, but he did it the cowardly way — meaning over the phone rather than face to face.

Jess was in the middle of folding laundry when he called, but apparently didn't mind the company.

"So how's Carlos?" Jake asked, attempting to offer Jess an opening to start talking about the man in question — and exactly why they hadn't been on a single date in three weeks.

Jake should have known that she wouldn't cooperate.

"He's fine," Jess replied, clearly without intentions to elaborate.

"Is he busy at work?" Jake didn't want to sound too invasive, but something had to be wrong.

"No," was the casual reply.

Jake felt a spike of dread. Was she being intentionally short with him? Jake tried to remember if she had seemed angry with him these past three weeks but nothing came to mind.

"Jess, you know that I told Beth the truth, don't you? I don't dislike Carlos." The words just came pouring out, even if Jake didn't want to talk about that conversation ever again.

Jess let out what could optimistically be called a fond snort.

"Of course I know that, Jake. You have the opposite problem."

The world seemed to grind to a halt.

"What?" Jake asked, voice pitched all wrong.

Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

"You like him too much," Jess replied patiently. "I'm not an idiot, Jake — I can tell when you're mooning over someone."

Jake couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening.

Sure, he had always known that she would find out about his infatuation sooner or later, but he had hoped that it would be much, _much_ later. Mostly because he had wanted time to prepare some kind of explanation, so that he could tell her that he didn't mean to — and that he still wanted her and Carlos to be happy. He really wasn't trying to complicate things.

But, thanks to the panic growing in his chest and the lack of better ideas, his kneejerk reaction was to hang up the phone without as much as a goodbye. It was a temporary solution at best, but until he had managed to swallow down the guilt and the shame it would have to do.

Jake dropped his phone onto his desk and hid his face in his hands.

What a fucking mess he had made of things.

 

* * *

 

Like expected, Jake could only avoid his sister for so long. He managed for several days, dodging her calls, texts, and emails, but when Beth got involved, well, Jake didn't stand a chance.

Receiving a text saying _'I miss you uncle jake'_ from his beloved niece was a low blow, even for Jess, but she was known to fight dirty when the occasion called for it. Asking her daughter to guilt-trip Jake into responding was definitely a tactic she would find appealing.

Something that became increasingly clear when the second text from Beth arrived.

_'Do u hate us? Is that why you dont visit?'_

"Aw, come _on_!" Jake wailed to no one in particular, his apartment empty and silent around him. "That's brutal! It hasn't even been a week!"

But he couldn't take the chance of Beth actually believing that, so after no more than four days of avoidance he admitted defeat and called her. He hadn't been ignoring Beth just because he was too afraid to talk to her mother, but it was true that he hadn't visited.

"Uncle Jake!" Beth chirped, obviously thrilled to hear from him.

"Hi, sweetheart." He already felt guilty, dammit, and she wasn't even trying.

"Where have you been? I missed you! Have you been busy with work? Or did you buy a new game?" Sometimes Beth was such a Jensen that Jake felt a happy twinge in his heart, even if he was also slightly concerned as to when she would take a moment to breathe. "Can I see? Can you come over? I want you to come over!"

"What? Now?" Jake croaked.

He was man enough to admit that his sister terrified him, not only because she was twice as badass as he was, but because he hated to disappoint her. Having a crush on the guy she was dating probably counted as a huge fucking disappointment.

"Yeah!" Beth sounded ecstatic. "I miss you. I haven't seen you in ages! Please come over? Please, please, please, _please_?"

Jake held back a sigh and thumped his head against his keyboard. He didn't stand a chance.

"Okay, just give me half an hour." Despite the dread he couldn't help smiling. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't missed her too.

"Yay!" Beth exclaimed, loud enough to make Jake's ear ring. "See you soon!" And without further ado — or allowing him a chance to say goodbye in return — she hung up.

Jake took a moment to stare fondly at his phone before shaking his head and pushing up from his computer chair. He was not looking forward to seeing Jess since he knew that she would try to talk to him at some point, but he'd brave through it for Beth.

How bad could it be?

 

* * *

 

Absolutely fucking disastrous, it turned out.

Jake barely had time to ring the doorbell before Beth was there, pulling him into the apartment and babbling happily about interviews and whatnot. It wasn't until Jake stepped inside the living room and saw a confused Carlos sitting on the couch that Jake realized that the word Beth was looking for was _intervention_.

He promptly turned and tried to flee back out through the front door.

Beth clung to his arm in what might have been an attempt to stop him, but her being so tiny and him being the exact opposite meant that it made very little difference.

"Jacob James Jensen," Jess barked, "sit your butt down right this instance."

The tone alone made Jake freeze, but the use of his middle name had him heading straight for fucking terrified. Even Beth's eyes were wide with surprise. Jess was standing facing the couch, arms crossed over her chest and blue eyes boring into Jake's.

He almost sat down right there on the spot, but Jess pointed him towards the couch. Despite the way his heart was racing Jake turned and obediently shuffled over, taking a seat next to Carlos. Jake made sure to leave as much space between them as possible, but he wasn't sure if that would make any difference.

Jess nodded approvingly before turning to Beth.

"Very good, Beth. Commence phase three."

Beth nodded, her expression serious as she turned and disappeared into the hall.

The amount of planning involved in all this was both impressive and alarming.

Carlos clearly had no idea what was going on judging by the confused look on his face. Jake felt for the poor guy — he really did — because Carlos hadn't known Jess long enough to fully understand how ruthless she could be.

Jake pressed himself against the armrest and hunched his shoulders in a vain attempt to seem less noticeable.

"Gentlemen," Jess declared, voice harsh like a whip, "this is an intervention."

Jake felt nausea rise at the back of his throat.

"Jess, please," he pleaded, "I didn't mean to—"

"Jake, sweetie, let me finish." She did sound less menacing that time — even offered him a tight smile — but it didn't help all that much.

Carlos had gone from looking confused to looking blank, which was possibly a bad thing since it seemed like a defense mechanism — and not of the good kind. He didn't move to get up, though, and kept his gaze on Jess, either out of politeness or genuine interest in hearing what she had to say next.

"Carlos, you first," Jess said, earning a raised eyebrow from the man in question. Jess smiled, but not without a hint of sadness. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm dumping you."

That got a reaction, if only that a second eyebrow joined the first. Carlos clearly hadn't expected that.

"You must understand, it's not me — it's you," Jess continued. Carlos was looking understandably insulted but Jess didn't seem to care. "I think we both know that you treat me more like a sister than a woman you want to have sex with."

Carlos froze for a second but didn't deny the accusation. Jake had no idea what to make of that.

"Sometime between our meeting at the bar and our first date your view on me changed. You weren't the same." Jess pursed her lips before gesturing towards Jake. "I can only assume it's because you laid eyes on him."

"What? Me?" Jake blurted out, like the idiot that he was. He stared at Jess, then at Carlos — who didn't seem to understand this any more than Jake did — and then back to Jess.

"Yes, you." Jess rolled her eyes before addressing Carlos once again, "He makes you laugh. And don't think I didn't see the look on your face when he was sick." Jess seemed caught between being endeared and vaguely frustrated. "I'm pretty sure you don't even realize this yourself, which is why I'm making this easy for you. I am dumping you, Carlos, so that you can start dating the right Jensen."

Jake's eyes widened. Was she _high_?

"Because as much as I like you — and I do, since you're a terrific guy and everything — I'm not _in love_ with you," Jess said, before pointing at Jake. "But he is."

" _Jess_!" Jake shrieked, in a pitch he wasn't entirely proud of — but at least it had the desired effect of making Jess cringe.

"What?" Jess drawled. "You so are."

Jake was too stunned to protest.

Beth came wandering back into the living room, carrying Jess' jacket and purse, which she handed over while Jess kept talking.

"So here's the deal, gentlemen. Beth and I are going out for dinner and you two will stay here and straighten out this mess or so help me God, I will ground you both." Jess shrugged into her jacket before leveling them both with a stern glare. "I also want you to remember that I obviously have more balls and brains that the two of you combined."

There were no arguments against that and both Jake and Carlos were wise enough to keep their mouths shut. Jess nodded firmly before ushering Beth towards the front door.

She stopped just before disappearing into the hall, leaning back to give them a warning glare and a raised finger.

"But absolutely no sex on the couch."

" _Jess_!"

Jake could hear her cackling laugh even as she stepped out into the stairwell.

The sound of the door closing was surprisingly ominous and Jake felt the awkwardness set in almost immediately. He had no idea what to do next, but it was obvious that they couldn't just sit there on Jess' couch for the rest of the evening.

Jake cleared his throat.

"Sorry about... that." He stared down into his lap, nervously rubbing his thumb along the back of his other hand. "She's always been like this."

"Always?" Carlos sounded vaguely amused, but also a little shell-shocked.

Jake chuckled, even if it sounded strained in his ears. "Yep. Always."

The silence that settled between them was heavy enough to make Jake's throat close up. He tried to swallow down the nerves and anxiety, but was only partially successful.

"I'm really sorry about everything she said. She shouldn't have dumped all of that on you." Jake grimaced. "She shouldn't have _dumped you_ — at least not like that. It's a lot to take in and—"

"Is it true?"

It wasn't the question that made Jake look up but the softness of the words — like they were something frail and precious that Carlos barely dared to voice out loud. Carlos met Jake's gaze, and while Carlos' expression was a little bit guarded Jake saw that there was no malice or anger.

He managed a nod, afraid that his voice wouldn't carry. His gaze flitted back to stare down at his hands, trying to hold back the roll of unease. Despite not looking at him Jake was hyperaware of everything Carlos did, and couldn't help stiffening from both apprehension and anticipation when Carlos moved closer on the couch.

"How long?" The words were spoken softly — intimately — and Jake swallowed. This time he did so to hold back the flare of lust and _hope_.

"Uh... always?" As unbelievably corny as that was, it was also the truth.

Carlos chuckled and Jake felt gentle fingers brush against his arm. The touch sparked a memory that he couldn't quite place — and didn't have the time to explore right at that moment.

He looked at Carlos instead, heart in his throat and shoulders stiff from tension.

Carlos smiled, softer than he had ever smiled at Jess from what Jake could tell, and held out his hand.

"Carlos Alvarez."

Jake blinked, staring at Carlos hand for a second until he managed to catch on.

"Jake Jensen," he replied while slipping his hand into Carlos' for a shake.

They didn't let go afterwards.

Carlos' fingers were warm against Jake's and it suddenly felt a little difficult to breathe — but from much more enjoyable reasons than last time. Jake managed a smile, even if it was trembling.

"Hi, Carlos." He swallowed and inched closer. "This might be a bit bold, but would you like to go on a date with me?"

Carlos smiled, sweet and fond, before giving Jake's fingers a squeeze.

"I would love to."

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final one shot! Woho! I've uploaded them all! Yay me! Next time you get something with The Losers it will actually be a NEW fic (well, except for that chapter from Cougar's POV from _Hyperborean_ that I will post once it's been betaed)
> 
> [CarpeDentum](http://archiveofourown.org/users/CarpeDentum) betaed as always because she is awesome, and you can find the original post on Tumblr [HERE](http://amethystinawrites.tumblr.com/post/122093318502/his-sisters-boyfriend).


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